Mail-crane.



No. 634,405; Patented oet. 3,1899. F. M. EnwAnns.

MAIL CRANE.

(Application led Dec. 17, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Shoots-Shoot l,

/NVENTH A TTU-HNE YS.

Patented ont. 3, |899.

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:NITED STATES PATENT FRANCIS M. EDWARDS, on eRnIesviLLa'NRw YORK.

MAIL-CRANE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,405, dated October 3, 1899.

Application filed December 1'7, 1898. Serial No. 699,561. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. EDWARDS, of Greigsville, in the county of Livingston and State of New York, haveinvented a new and Improved Mail-Crane, of which the fol* lowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to au improvement in inail-cranes or devices used for receiving and delivering mail from and to a passing train; and it consists in cert-ain features of construction which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective View showing my device set in position between two parallel tracks. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the device with the base in section. Fig. 3.is a crosssection upon the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. l is a side elevation of the shifting-handle and its immediately-connected parts. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the standard and base of the rotating post. Fig. (5 is a perspective view of one of the bag-holdin g arms det-ached. Fig. 7 is a side elevation, partially in section, showing the manner of releasing the bagcatching arm. Fig. 8 is a similar view show'- ing the arm in position for receiving the bag, and Fig. 9 is a plan showing the standard in section and the bag-receiving arm in position for receiving the bag.

With the majority of mail-cranes it is necessary that the same be located at or beyond a switch or upon the outer sides of double tracks. This necessity often involves placing the mail-crane at a considerable distance from the station, and thus in many cases inviting interference therewith or stealing of the mail.

The object of my invention is to provide a v crane which may be placed upon either side of a track, between double tracks and near a station, so that it may be watched and interference with the mail-bag be prevented.

My device is mounted upon a base A, preterably made as a hollow standard and provided With bearings adapted to receive a vertical post B, so that said post may be rotated in the standard. The lower portion B of the post, which is within the standard A, is

made of circular section, and the upper end of the standard is provided with a recess a, surrounding the post B, which recess is of a non-circular section. vBetween the upper .portion of the post B and the lower circular portion B is a section B2, which is either of a non-circular section or is provided with a keyway, so that the sleeve C, whichis placed upon said section B2, may slide upon the post but cannot rotate thereon. This sleeve C is provided with a boss C upon its under surface adapted to enter and fit the recess ct in the standard. It is obvious that when the sleeve C is in the lowerposition or that shown in Fig. 2 the post B cannot be rotated in the standard A. Il', however, the sleeve C is raised out of the recess a the post B is then free to rotate. Y

The sleeve C is raised by means of a lever 1D, pivoted to the post B and connected to the sleeve C by means of links d. The lever D is preferably made as a yoke embracing the two sides of the post B, and thelinks d are connected to opposite members of the sleeve C and the yoke D. The sleeve C may also vbe providedwith a projecting lug C2, adapted to enter between the members of the yoke D, to act as a further safeguard against rotation of the post B.

Preferably the recess a is made of square outline, as the post B will be required to occupy such a position that the bag-supporting arms will extend across the direct-ion of the track or parallel therewith. Upon the-upper end ot' the post B are two side projecting arms b, arranged one above the other; Upon these arms the bag-supporting arms E are pivoted to swing in a vertical plane. These arms are provided with inwardly-projecting toes E', adapted when the arms are swung down to the proper position for supporting the bag to engage the stops G upon the post B. The short arms or toes of the lever E are connected to spirally-coiled springs F, which at their opposite ends are connected tothe post and serve to normally hold the varms E in a vertical position, as shown in in Fig. 2. outer ends of the arms E are providedwith side extending hooks e., which should extend in the direction. of travel of the trainwhich is to pick up the mail-bag.

The mail-bag is supported between the two The IOC)

arms E, as shown in Fig. 1, the hooks c engaging the handles or loops at opposite ends of the bag. As the bag is engaged by the catcher-arm upon the car it is pulled ott of the hooks c. This does not involve any rotation of the arms E or the crane, and consequently less resistance is experienced from this cause. The hooks instead of projecting radially from the crane and involving the swinging of the crane upon its axis are projected in the direction of the travel of the train and the mail-bag is slipped ol't of the same. As soon as the mail-bag has been removed from the hook e the arms E are swung to the vertical position bythe action ot` the springs F.

The bag-receiving mechanism consists of an arm I, which is pivoted by a horizontal pivot upon a bracket b', located upon the standard below the bag-delivering arms E. This arm extends from the standard in the saine direction as the bagdclivering arms and is provided at its outer end with a bagcatching device consisting of therod M, which is rigidly attached tothe outer end of thearm I and extends lengthwise the track, and a supporting-arm M', secured at one end to the rod M, and when in position for use is held away from the same by a releasing device. This releasingr device consists of two links M2, pivoted at one end to the rod M and spring-bar M and at their other ends to each other. This central pivot is a knee-pivot or one which will yield in one direction only. This is so set that it will yield toward the end of the bar which is attached to the arm I. IVhen the dev ice is set in position for receiving a bag, it is as shown by full lines in Fig. t), in which the spring-bar Ml is separated from the rod M. These are tion that the mail-bag which is to be delivered from the train will enter between the two. It will thus come in contact with the links M2, forming the releasing mechanism, and will force its pivoted center back toward the arm I, and thus permit the spring-arm M' to clasp a mail-bag.

The pivoted arm I is provided with an extension at its pivot end consisting of the hook I', adapted to be engaged by a catch, so as to hold the arm in its elevated position. This catch, as herein shown, consists of a rod J, which passes through a hole in the standard and is provided at its outer end with a hook J', adapted to engage the hook I. The inner portion of this rod is surrounded by a spring J2, which ordinarily holds the rod within the standard and in engagement with the hook I of the arm I. In this posit-i011, as is shown in Fig. 8, the arm I is held in its extended or horizontal position. The innerend of the rod .I is attached to a rod K, which is pivoted within the standard and extends vertically. A pin L extends through the standard in position to engage the upper end of the rod K. Outside the standardthis pin is surrounded by a spring L'. Both ends ot put in such posithe pin are provided with heads adapted to prevent its pulling through the hole in the standard and to receive the thrust of the spring IX. This spring is also in position to be engaged by the lower one of the bag-holding arms E, so that when said arm drops it will force the pin L within the standard and swing the rod K upon its pivot. This rod K is pivoted at 7.; near its upper end. Vhen this rod is swung upon its pivot, the rod .Iis forced out of the standard. The inner end of the rod J being located below the hole in the standard through which the rod passes the outer end of the rod J is thrown upward when it is forced outward. This releases the arm I and permits the arm to drop, so as to withdraw it from proximity to the train.

l'Vhen the crane is to be used for a double track, it will be mounted centrally between the two tracks and the arms E made of such a length as to extend toward either track.

The post 13 is readilyswung upon its pivot by raising the lever D, and thus disengaging the boss C of the sleeve C from the recess c1. in the standard A. If the arms E project beyond the posta distance greater than desired, the post ll may be given a quarter-rotation7 so as to make the arms E face in the direction of the track. Projections A on the standard A afford steps for use when it is necessary to reach the top ot' the device from the ground.

It is obvious that this crane may be located at any point desired, and thus may be placed where it is possible for some employee of the road to keep watch thereof, and thus prevent an unauthorized person from tampering with the mail.

Ilaving thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A mail-crane, lcomprising a fixed standard having post-bearings therein and a noneircular recess in its upper end surrounding the upper post-bearing, a post fitted to turn in said bearings and carrying bag-supporting arms, a sleeve mounted to slide upon the post, but normally held against rotation thereon, the lower portion of said sleeve being of a non-circular section to fit the recess in the standard, and means for lifting said sleeve and for turning the post, substantially as described.

2. A inail-crane, comprising a fixed standard having post-bearings therein, and a noncircular recess in its upper end surrounding the upper post-bearing, a post Iitted to turn in said bearings and carrying two bag-supporting arms, sleeve mounted to slide upon the post but normally held against rotation thereon, the lower portion of said sleeve being of a non-circular section to tit the recess in the standard, a lever pivoted to the post, and links connecting said lever to the sleeve, whereby the sleeve may be lifted and the post turned, substantially as described.

3. A mail-crane, comprising a fixed stand- IOO IIO

ard having post-bearings therein and a noncircular recess in its upper end surrounding the upper post-bearing, a post fitted to turn in said bearings and carrying two bag-supporting arms pivoted to swing in a vertical plane, springs acting upon said arms to swing them apart and parallel to the post, a sleeve mounted to slide upon the post, but normally held against rotation thereon, the lower portion of said sleeve being of a non-circular section to fit the recess in the standard, a lever pivoted on said post, and links connecting the lever to the sleeve, whereby the sleeve may be lifted and the post turned, substantially as described. .Y I

Li. A mail-crane, comprising a fixed standard having post-bearings therein and a noncircular recess at its upper end surrounding` the upper post-bearing, a post fitted to turn in said bearings and carrying two bag-supporting arms pivoted to swing in a vertical plane, springs acting upon said arms to swing them apart and parallel to the post, a sleeve mounted to slide upon the post but normally held against rotation thereon, the lower por.- tion of said sleeve being of a non-circularseetion to lit the recess in t-he standard, a lever pivoted to the post, links connecting said lever to the sleeve, whereby the sleeve may be lifted and the post turned, and a lug on the sleeve whereby said lever may be locked, substantially as described.

5. Amail-crane, eomprisinga post or standard having two horizontally-projecting arms arranged one above the other, bag-carrying arms pivoted to said Erst-named arms, to swing in a vertical plane, each of said bag-carrying arms having at its pivot end a lateral extension lying in the same plane, springs between said extensions and the standard acting to swing the arms apart or parallel with the standard, and bag-holding pins upon the outer ends of said bag-carrying arms and perpendicular to their plane of swing.

G. A inail-crane having a pivoted delivering-arm for the support of the mail-bag, adapted to drop when the bag is delivered, an arm pivoted upon a horizontal pivot and having a bag-catching device thereon, a catch for holding said arm raised and means for releasing the same, operated by the drop of the the catch of the receiving-arm, substantially as described.

8. Amail-cranehavingareceiving-armpit*- oted upon a horizontal pivot, and having a locking extension atits inner end, abag catching and holding device at its outer end, a spring-held catch engaging the locking eX- tension of the arm, a pivoted bag-delivering arm adapted to be engaged by the deliveringarm in its drop, and connections therefrom to the catch for releasi-ng the receiving-arm,

substantially as described.

FRANCIS M. EDWARDS.

XVitnesses f W. H. CLAPP, A'. J. KNIGHT. 

